Health Benefits Of Turmeric – 10 Amazing Changes That Happen To Your Health Due To Turmeric

How often do you drizzle turmeric into your recipes? Interestingly you do not need more than 500 milligrams of this powerful medicine to gain some amazing health benefits of turmeric!

Turmeric has been an age-old remedy, so old, its uses date back to 4000 years especially for quick healing of wounds but this ancient condiment which is the native to South East Asia is also a perfect natural medicine which keeps you away from popping those artificial pills apart from being an anti-infective agent!

Well, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration if I say that it not only prevents but also treats cancer. What is in turmeric that makes it the most commonly used spice that can solve some countless health problems?

Health Benefits Of Turmeric – What Is Turmeric Good For?

All the credit and goodness go to a compound known as ‘Curcumin’ present in turmeric since it imparts anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal properties to the spice.

Interestingly, curcumin also imparts the bright and attractive yellow colour to the spice apart from providing some awesome health benefits.

Here is a perfect turmeric health benefits list that will totally convince you why turmeric should be part of your diet!

1. How Turmeric Benefits Your Heart Health?

The most common heart disorders that have been prevailing till today are atherosclerosis (formation of plaque in the blood vessels), clots that are formed due to the blockage of blood vessels, Arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythms).

Including turmeric in your diet improves the functioning of endothelium which is a thin membrane that lines your blood vessels and heart!

The endothelium is majorly responsible for vascular contraction and relaxation but it can also prevent the condition called thrombosis which is the formation of blood clots that may result in swelling of hands and legs, pain and tenderness. Thrombosis is also life-threatening.

2. Turmeric Prevents Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease may occur due to certain inflammatory activities that take place inside your brain. Persistent inflammation can result in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease which can be prevented through regular intake of turmeric.

Oxidative stress can also result in Alzheimer’s because it is the imbalance of antioxidant production as a response of free radical production.

3. Turmeric As An Anti-Depressant

Unlike other health disorders, depression cannot be detected through physical symptoms and is often neglected because of a lack of awareness.

There could be various reasons for depression which involve the death of loved ones, emotional or sexual abuse, a long-term physical illness or certain medications that may show depression as a side effect.

Taking care of your mental health is the major and necessary step to prevent the chances of mental health problems but there are certain dietary habits that also play a major role in preventing the illness.

Turmeric is one such ingredient which contains anti-depressant properties to help you prevent the disorder because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant nature!

Curcumin can increase the levels of serotonin and dopamine both of which show a major impact on your mental health. Serotonin is a happiness hormone whereas dopamine can make you feel pleasurable which can relieve you from mental stress!

4. Turmeric For The Treatment Of Arthritis

Arthritis usually attacks the old and elderly, those who are above 65 years but it can also attack children at any time. Arthritis can be identified due to the onset of its typical symptoms such as severe pain, swelling, and tenderness in the joints.

Doctors usually prescribe certain anti-inflammatory drugs to subside the pain and swelling but the medicinal properties of curcumin, especially its anti-inflammatory nature helps in relieving the patients from the unbearable pain.

5. Turmeric Detoxifies Your Liver

It produces the proteins that play an important role in the clotting of blood and producing bile juice which is very much essential for the digestion of fats so that they are easily absorbed by your intestine.

Enhancement of the functioning capacity of the liver is one of the major health benefits of turmeric. Intake of turmeric on a regular basis prevents oxidative stress which improves the efficacy of your liver.

Turmeric is also known to increase the detoxifying ability of the liver and improve its functioning. However, you have to be careful regarding the consumption of turmeric for benefiting your liver because an excess intake may cause inflammation and liver damage.

Consuming 500 milligrams of turmeric per day would do no harm but if you are opting for the intake of turmeric suppleness, you may have to consult your doctor so that it does not interfere with other health problems.

6. Reduces The Risk Of Brain Diseases

Several neurons are produced each day but the rebirth of these neurons is essential for the healthy functioning of the brain. BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) which is a protein that is produced inside the nerve cells is responsible for the survival of the nerve cells.

A decrease in the levels of BDNF results in various brain disorders, especially Alzheimer’s. Including turmeric in your diet can boost the production of BDNF protein which prevents various age-related brain disorders.

In addition to this. Curcumin present in turmeric can also improve your memory because it can remove the beta amyloids from your brain which can otherwise cause Alzheimer’s disease.

Using turmeric more often into your diet improves the cognitive functioning of the brain which includes learning, memorizing, analyzing and logical thinking.

7. Turmeric Can Prevent And Even Treat Cancer

It may sound bizarre but the medical property of curcumin in turmeric is so intense, it not only prevents cancer but also helps in the effective treatment of cancer.

This is because, curcumin has the ability to kill cancerous cells, prevent the emergence of new blood vessels inside the tumours, and also inhibit the transfer of cancerous cells from the site of origin to a new place (metastasis) which makes the treatment much complicated.

Curcumin is especially known to prevent colorectal cancer and this has been proven to be true after certain experiments which showed that taking at least 4 grams of curcumin per day prevented the lesions present in the colon from turning into cancerous form.

Though cancer can be inherited, diet and lifestyle can also be the risk factors on some cases and more importantly the ones which can completely take charge of. Turmeric out of all the foods is one such ingredient which can be used to reduce the risk of cancer.

One simple way to improve your overall health condition is to add turmeric more often into your diet because it contains both anti-inflammatory and rich antioxidant properties!

These properties can boost your immune system and improve your resistance power so that you are immune to various microbial disorders which can otherwise deteriorate your health.

While we use various antibiotics to protect ourselves from diseases, we must also know that turmeric is a natural antibiotic and a mood enhancer that can ward off the diseases and keep us fit and active all the time!

As an added advantage, you can also make the best benefits of turmeric for skin by using it to make a face pack that can prevent wrinkles, clear spots and makes you look fresh, young and lively!

9. Turmeric For Irregular Periods & Menstrual Cramps

Irregular periods are not a reason to worry unless you have been experiencing them too frequently. Knowing the underlying cause can easily help you diminish the problem.

Our lifestyle changes and dietary habits have a huge impact on the functioning of hormones. Exercising regularly and eating healthy can fix your hormonal fluctuation.

PCOS (Polycystic ovarian syndrome) is the leading cause of missed periods in most of the women. PCOS results in an overproduction of male sex hormone testosterone and this can be identified by several symptoms such as acne, an unexpected weight gain, hirsutism (facial hair growth) and infertility.

You can, however, choose to correct this by consuming turmeric milk on a regular basis. This can also relieve you from periods pain because turmeric contains antispasmodic properties.

10. Benefits Of Turmeric Milk For Dyspepsia

Dyspepsia is a stomach disorder (chronic indigestion) which is characterized by symptoms such as abnormal belching, abdominal cramps and a feeling of fullness before eating. Turmeric milk contains two important ingredients – Turmeric and Ginger which can cure indigestion.

Turmeric helps in increasing the production of bile juice so that the digestion of fats is made easy! This helps in better digestion of fats making your overall process of digestion easy!

Drinking turmeric milk after your breakfast may reduce the symptoms of dyspepsia and reduce the discomfort.

Best Way To Consume Turmeric For Health Benefits!

Though we prefer using turmeric into our main courses and side dishes, the best way to consume turmeric for health benefits is to drink turmeric milk or turmeric tea on a regular basis. Here are two fantastic recipes that you can try.

How To Make Turmeric Milk?

Drinking turmeric milk at least twice a week can solve your problem of irregular periods and let you have a happy and healthy period.

Ingredients Required

Turmeric – Two teaspoons

Milk – 250 ml

Crushed or grounded ginger – One teaspoon

Powdered pepper made from two pepper balls

Honey – One tablespoon

How To Prepare?

Boil milk in a vessel or saucepan under a low-medium flame and add all the ingredients to this. Let it simmer for 5-10 minutes and turn off the flame.

Use a sieve to pour the turmeric milk into your mug and be ready to drink it tasty, healthy and flavoursome.

You can also add a pinch of cinnamon powder to this milk if you want to make gain the maximum turmeric uses for health.

How to prepare turmeric tea?

Ingredients Required

Turmeric – half teaspoon

Water – 200 ml

Lime juice – Half slice

Honey – One teaspoon

How To Prepare?

Boil the water and add turmeric. Let it steep for 5-10 minutes and use a strainer to pour the tea into your cup. Squeeze half slice of lemon to this and add a teaspoon of honey to give a perfect lemon and honey flavour to the tea.

Is Turmeric Good For Health? When Should You Avoid Taking Turmeric?

After going through this amazing turmeric health benefits list, there is no doubt in saying that turmeric enhances your overall health.

However, people are currently taking blood thinners may have to avoid taking turmeric. Blood thinners are used to clot the blood since turmeric prevents the formation of blood clots.

Pregnant women may have to consult the doctor regarding the intake of turmeric supplements but can naturally include turmeric in the diet. Ensure that you do not exceed the amount of 500 milligrams per day.

People who have taken turmeric in rather excess amounts have witnessed side effects such as nausea, dizziness, and stomach upset. Otherwise, health benefits of turmeric are of great significance and can even prevent the most dreadful diseases like cancer.

Bottom Line

Turmeric is a natural anti-infectious agent, natural antibiotic and an amazing wound healer.

Written By

Sai Sudha Chintapalli is a certified health blogger, who has an experience of above 2 years in the field of writing with an authorized certificate in the area of Introduction to food and health from Stanford University.
She has a special interest in life sciences, human psychology and fitness which drove her to make blogging turn passion to profession. She has conducted a survey on Malnutrition in children in a slum area at Hyderabad and studied about the adulteration in Food items as the part of her projects while pursuing her bachelor's degree in Life Sciences.
Being an introvert, writer, empath and a nature lover, she loves Yoga and believes it to be one of the best pathways to self discovery!